UPDATE: Four have applied for Hamilton interim superintendent job

Hamilton County School Board members may get their wish of having an interim superintendent with no ties to the current administration.

Monday, February 29th 2016, 6:45 PM EST by David Carroll

Updated:

Friday, March 4th 2016, 6:56 PM EST

UPDATE MARCH 4: Robert "Bob" Purifico, Helen "Miranda" Perez, and Gerald "Jerry" Jensen have joined Shaun Sadler as candidates for interim superintendent of Hamilton County schools.

Purifico, of Marlton, New Jersey, describes himself as a youth advocate, and currently serves as CEO of We R 3C, a character education/anti-bullying program.

Perez is an independent support coordinator for the ARC of Hamilton County, working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. She is also founder and executive director of the Ooltewah-Harrison Education Foundation. Under qualifications, among her listings are, "Not a member of the good ole boys club."

Jensen is retired, and worked from 2006 until 2013 as president and CEO of Siskin Children's Institute. He was also a longtime administrator in the University of Missouri system.

So far, there have been no applicants from within the Hamilton County Board of Education.

PREVIOUS STORY FROM MARCH 1: Hamilton County School Board members may get their wish of having an interim superintendent with no ties to the current administration. In fact, their choice may have no background in education administration at all.

Shaun Sadler of Hixson was identified Monday by Board Chair Jonathan Welch as having applied for the position.

The Board is scheduled to vote on a proposed $269,000 buyout of current Superintendent Rick Smith's contract on March 7. If the proposal fails, Smith has the option of taking the issue to court to collect on the remaining $721,000 owed through June 2019 on his existing contract, extended last year.

Sadler is a retired Marine Colonel,Chief of Staff (3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Afghanistan) and Commanding Officer (Marine Aircraft Group-39). He has also served in Iraq and Japan. The Hixson High alum attended Cochise College in Arizona, and later earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. He recently served as General Manager of of Fisher & Associates in Calhoun, Georgia.

Welch told Eyewitness News that a current central office administrator will likely be chosen to lead the district "for a week or two" before the Board selects an interim superintendent.